


Kitty

by kiyala



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-12-30
Updated: 2006-12-30
Packaged: 2017-10-12 02:24:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/119752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a kitten in the petshop Ichigo works in that reminds him of Ishida. One day, he discovers it's been sold before he can buy it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kitty

  
It was his day off from university, so he worked all day. He supposed that a pet store wasn't the most suitable place for someone like him, but as long as he had something to do, he was happy.

"Ooh, look at that one! Isn't he just gorgeous? Aww, look at the way he's all curled up!"

His head turned in the direction of the voice, but he didn't need to look to know what they were talking about.

"Eh… I don't think he's _that_ cute. I mean, look at the way he's lying at a distance from all the others. And what makes _him_ so special? Look at the other cats… at least they look friendlier…"

A small smile spread across his lips and knowing what was coming net, he idly walked towards the front of the store where the glass cages for the puppies and kittens were.

"Oh, hi! You work here, right?" the woman asked as she saw him and he smiled politely in response. "Can you tell me how much that Siamese kitten costs?"

"Ah, this guy over here, huh?" he gave the kitten a fond smile, "…Nah, he's not for sale, sorry. He's already been bought. Just waiting to be picked up."

There was a disappointed look on the woman's face and the man beside her sighed, "See? I could've told you by looking at him. He's a heart breaker, that one."

They left quickly and the store was empty except for him and a workmate. A crowd of people walked past the front of the store, but when no-one entered, he took the keys out of his pocket, opening the cage for the kittens and reacing in to pat the Siamese, pulling it out. "Come on, little guy. Time for your flea medicine."

The girl of shift with him frowned, "You still hanging onto that thing? It's not good to get so attaached to these guys… if you like him that much, why don't you just buy him yourself?"

Smiling at the cat, he didn't look up when he replied, "I am. Almost there… just need to get my paycheck for this month. Then he's mine."

Noticing the happy look in his eyes, the girl sighed, "But what happens if you can't stop someone? If someone buys it when you're not there?"

His hands shook a little and he held the kitten to him protectively, "That… that just can't happen. Besides… we get paid in two days. As soon as I get the money…"

His workmate frowned at him, "Why… what the heck makes that cat so special to you anyway? You… like, fell in love with it as soon as you saw it."

Placing the Siamese down on the countertop, he took the tube of anti-flea gel out of the top drawer and ran a hand down its back.

"He… just reminds me of someone I used to know."

The kitten mewled at him and he smiled back at it as it watched him with his blue eyes. He tilted its head gently as he applied the medicine to its skin and it continued to watch him. He scratched under its chin fondly and patted its head, unaware that there was another pair of blue eyes watching him.

  


*

Uryuu had a tendency to become too clingy, he reasoned with himself as he did almost every morning when he watched the boy leave the house to go to university, and every evening when he returned home to find that the house was still empty. In fact, Uryuu wouldn't know what he was getting himself into until he was hurt. That's how it worked with his trip to Soul Society, all those years ago, didn't it? He had known very little of the risks ahead of him and still, he moved forward, only to lose his power. He simply allowed his emotions to control him far too much.

That said, he hadn't exactly forbidden the boy from contacting the other. He had merely expressed his disapproval. But in the end, it was the same thing. Despite the number of times Uryuu had declared that he hated him, he still cared about what he thought of him. Ryuuken sighed wearily. If that kind of indirect control was what it took to keep his son's heart in one piece, then so be it.

Taking a sip of his coffee and leaning back into his chair, he wondered if he had succeeded in the end. Three years later, and there was still that sad look in Uryuu's eyes when he caught a glimpse of bright orange hair, the way he avoided company or much of a social life at all, retreating to his studies as soon as he returned from school. As much as Ryuuken approved of the high marks his son was bringing in, he knew that it was unhealthy for a boy his age to be getting out so little.

He wondered if it would have been different if he had allowed him to speak to the boy. Perhaps Uryuu would be out having fun, perhaps Uryuu would have friends… perhaps Uryuu would smile. His grip on his mug tightened and he slowly put it down on the table in front of him. There was a picture on the mantle of the two of them, smiling happily. He glanced at the frame, noting that it was the only thing on the mantle that had gathered dust. The only thing that was left untouched during Uryuu's obsessive dusting when he was stressed, or just needed a break from his books. The fair-haired man stood and walked towards it, an apprehensive look on his face, as though the frame would break if he came too close, and he reached out a shaky hand, brushing the layer of dust off the top of the frame as he looked into the eyes of a younger, much happier son. He absently wondered how long it had been since he smiled himself. It was extremely uncommon even when Uryuu was young, which was – he supposed – why he kept that photograph out where it was. He had seen Uryuu pause and look at it when he cleaned around it. He remembered the way the corners of the boy's lips would turn down for a moment before he continued cleaning, as thought he had never seen it in the first place.

Ryuuken wondered if that was how their relationship was. If Uryuu lived life constantly avoiding him and any emotions or attachments he felt – or once felt – due to the fact that Ryuuken was the one he had to call his father. If he'd occasionally come across a memory that was usually safely tucked away at the back of his mind and if he would, for a moment with the corners of his lips turned down, remember whatever it was, before continuing to live and avoid.

Perhaps Uryuu resented him for keeping him from the one he was so clearly pining for. Ryuuken felt a spark of emotion and frowned, unsure of whether it was protectiveness or jealousy, before shaking himself. If Uryuu was hurt now, who could imagine what would happen if he was allowed to make himself into an utter fool for the other boy? Ryuuken's eyes narrowed. Of course, it wasn't guaranteed that the boy would _hurt_ Uryuu, but it never hurt to be careful, did it? Ryuuken's gaze shifted to the floor when his conscience spoke up; of course it didn't hurt _him_ to be careful, but what of Uryuu? Wasn't he being hurt already?

He growled and folded his arms across his chest. Ishida Ryuuken was not one to make new years resolutions on the spur of the moment, but at that time, standing alone in front of the mantle, looking at the picture of Uryuu smiling, he promised himself that Uryuu would be happy. No matter what it took.

  


*

"I'm interested in buying that kitten," he said, his voice communicating the fact that he was not there for idle chatting. The girl he was speaking to glanced at the Siamese he had indicated and nodded – perhaps a little too enthusiastically – and opened the glass, lifting it away from the others. She held it out to him and he took it carefully into his arms, giving it a small smile that not many people had the opportunity of seeing.

"This way," the girl told him as she walked to the counter, where the carrying cage, bowl and other things that he had bought were sitting ready for him. He liked the feeling of the warm weight in his arms, curled against his chest and missed it immediately when he had to put the kitten down to take his wallet out of his pocket.

"Oh? That one's finally got a home, huh?" the other girl that was working asked, looking at the kitten and rubbing its fur, "That's good. Though it's a pity, I guess. Ichigo's really going to miss Uryuu."

He almost dropped his wallet in shock. With eyes wide, he looked at the one who had spoken, "What was that?"

"Hm?" she obviously didn't understand the reason behind his reaction and shrugged, "Oh. There's a guy that works here who really liked that cat. He even gave it a name and stuff. He always said it reminded him of someone he used to know. Called Uryuu, I guess…"

"Ah… should I not buy this kitten, then?" he asked, trying to stop his hands from trembling.

"Oh, you definitely should!" she replied with a frown, "I mean… well, I'm kind of glad you are. There's always a sad look in Ichigo's eyes when he looks at that cat. Even when he smiles, it doesn't really reach his eyes, but he was really protective of it. I never thought it was a good idea for him to be so attached to it, so I'm really happy to see it go. Take care of it well for him though, okay?"

He rested his hand on the kittens head and smiled at no one in particular, "Yeah. I will."

  


*

Ryuuken was probably right. He did become attached to things too easily. Or perhaps he was just plain obsessive. What had be bought the kitten for? No… that wasn't the proper question, who had he bought the kitten for? How much had everything been in the end? Could he really afford that, just over these… feelings, or whatever they were? It was true that he had earned quite some money by being commissioned to design and sew dresses for a few people… in fact, the amount he had earned from just one of those dresses covered the costs of the kitten and the other items he had bought. But still…

He frowned, wondering how Ryuuken would react, but quickly dismissed the thought, half of him insisting he didn't care, the other reasoning that the man liked cats anyway. Not that it would stay with them for long. _That_ thought made him stop in his tracks. So he'd unconsciously decided it already? His gaze lowered to the ground as he remembered the look in those brown eyes the previous day. He wondered if he really could get rid of that sad look, if this would really be enough. His eyes narrowed as he then thought of _how_ he was going to do this. What did it really mean, to have Ryuuken's approval anyway? He'd lived by the rules that he had never even initially agreed to for three years now, and he still resented Ryuuken for it. Whatever he was attempting to do, Uryuu was rather sure that it wasn't working. He wondered if Ryuuken would allow him to do what he wanted to this time, but then quickly decided that he didn't care.

Perhaps for what was left of this year, he could make up for everything he had done out of his own selfish need to be accepted by his father. Two days weren't very long, but Uryuu knew that if he did what he needed to, and did it properly, two days would be enough. There were things that needed to be done, people that he needed to apologise to. To be honest, there was one person he needed to apologise to, but he knew how difficult it would be that he would rather apologise to a lot of other people than to just him. He bit his lip and hesitated a moment before continuing to walk home.

There were so many things he had to say, so many things that he had begun to say all those years ago, but hadn't been able to finish before Ryuuken had decided to interfere. Perhaps the first interference had brought out a sense of urgency in him. It had made him feel everything so much more than he had ever wanted to admit, and he knew he had said enough for the other to know about it, but he still hadn't said all he wanted to. Truth be told, he didn't know how to say the rest. He wondered if he _could_ finish what he had begun three years ago, or if he had made the other wait too long already. He heard the kitten mewl and his grip tightened on the handle of its cage. He began to walk again, this time at a much quicker pace, wanting to let the Siamese out of the cage and give it some more room. For now, he'd focus on taking care of the kitten. Everything that came after… well, he would deal with it tomorrow.

  


*

"What the fuck do you mean 'he's gone'? He _can't_ be gone!" He yelled, looking desperately around the shop as his work mate calmly went around preparing the shop to be opened in half an hour.

"He was bought yesterday," she replied, not looking at him when she spoke, "Someone came around when you weren't on shift and bought the kitten. I told you, it was a bad idea to be so attached to…"

She trailed off when she finally turned and saw him, leaning against the counter and shaking ever so slightly. She knew that if he were anyone else, there would be tears running down his cheeks as well. Walking closer, she placed a hand on his shoulder, "…Hey. You okay?"

"I…" he began, his voice shakier than she had ever remembered it being before, "Fuck… I loved… no. I still _love_ —"

"The one you named the cat after, huh?" she asked with a sympathetic pat, "She your ex or something? Did she leave you?"

Finally, the tears ran down his cheeks and he instinctively hid his face in his hands, trembling and taking deep breaths until he was sure that his emotions were back under check. The arm around his shoulder eased away as he straightened up and sighed, the sad look not leaving his eyes.

"I've lost him. _Again_."

He looked away as he let his co-worker process that bit of information, looking back when she was watching him with wide eyes. "Oh… _oh_. I'm sorry, I didn't think—"

"Yeah," he shrugged it off and walked to the rack of toys, making sure everything was properly displayed. His hands faltered as he felt her give him a small hug. After a moment of standing absolutely still, he turned a little, and gave her an awkward, one-armed hug in return.

"Go home. I'll ring someone to swap shifts with you… you're too upset to work today."

His eyes widened, "But—"

She smiled, and he looked away, finally nodding.

"Thanks."

  


*

There was one day in the week when Uryuu returned home before he did. He would never admit it to himself, let alone to another, but it was his favourite day of the week. There was something satisfying about coming home to see the boy in his room, back to the half-open door and he bent over his work. He enjoyed the silence of his son working, with nothing more than the scratching of pen against paper, or him dictating to himself in a low murmur.

Somehow, he could tell that it would be different tonight as he slowed down in the driveway of his house. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that there were far too many lights turned on for Uryuu to be simply sitting in his room and studying. He frowned to himself and got out of the car, walking into the house at a quicker pace than usual. Whatever he was expecting, it certainly wasn't what he saw when he opened the door.

"Uryuu! Come _back_! Stop that! Get back here!"

Ryuuken quickly spotted the Siamese that his son was chasing and with the use of Hirenkyaku, he had the kitten in his hands before Uryuu had even crossed half of the room. Blinking in confusion for a moment, the younger Quincy looked away, seething with irritation at the fact that he hadn't thought to do that himself.

"You bought yourself a kitten?" Ryuuken asked, raising an eyebrow as he handed it over to the boy, "…and named it after yourself, no less?"

Flushing, Uryuu held the kitten close, "I wasn't the one who named him. Someone else already named him Uryuu and… well, I didn't see the point in changing it when I wasn't going to keep it for long."

"Not keeping it for long?" Ryuuken forwned and he leaned forward to stroke the soft fur of the kitten for a moment before straightening up and looking his son directly in the eyes, "Who did you go to all the effort of buying a kitten for, Uryuu?"

"That's…" Uryuu scowled and looked away. Of course, Ryuuken already knew, and the dark-haired boy knew that. He ran a hand down the kitten's back, "That's none of your business."

"You know what I think of this," the older man muttered as he picked up the briefcase he had dropped by the door and walked to his room.

Uryuu watched him leave with a mix between irriation and guilt. The kitten mewled in his arms and he smiled at it, turning away from Ryuuken's shut door and putting it down on the floor. He knelt down, wondering how many times the other had done this. The Siamese swatted his hand as he moved it and he smiled again, although it quickly disappeared when he thought of the other playing with the kitten again.

"I'll need to take you to him soon," he murmured, placing a hand on its head and giving it an affectionate pat, "Before you drive both of us insane."

  


*

The girls had gone out with Isshin so by the time Ichigo returned home, he was on his own. He was glad for it, and went straight to his room, collapsing into his bed and pulling the covers over his head. He was furious with himself for falling apart at work like he had, he was afraid of what he had admitted, and yet he knew it was the truth. He had never thought the Quincy to be the type to toy with his emotions – and he still didn't. He knew that Uryuu's father had definitely played a major role in whatever it was that had happened; although he still wasn't quite sure _what_ that was.

He rolled over onto his back, pulling the covers down so he could stare at the ceiling, and let out a small sigh. He knew that despite what Uryuu said about hating his father, he didn't truly hold any deep resentment for him any more, and perhaps that was what the man had played on. He remembered the talk he had with his own father about it. How Isshin had told him that Ryuuken was probably doing whatever he thought would keep Uryuu out of harm's way. He closed his eyes for a moment and frowned. What was that supposed to mean? Did he really think he'd hurt Uryuu – did he think that it was even _possible_ for him to be able to bring himself to hurt him?

His phone rang and Ichigo threw the covers aside, searching his desk for it, he finally found it and picked it up, his caller ID telling him that it was Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki?" he asked as he held the phone to his ear, his usual frown deepening a little.

"You were supposed to ring me by yesterday to tell me if you're coming to my new years eve party or not!" she replied, "You haven't replied yet, so what's up?"

Sitting down on his bed, he sighed, "…I'm not gonna make it. Sorry."

"What?" Tatsuki sounded shocked and Ichigo shrugged although he knew she wouldn't be able to see it.

"…I don't feel like going out. Have fun tonight, yeah?" he replied, hanging up before his friend had the chance to reply.

Putting the phone back on his desk, he sat back down in his bed when the doorbell rang. Growling in irritation, he stood and made his way downstairs, wondering who would be visiting at this time of the day.

"Yeah—?" he asked as he opened the door, and his eyes widened as he was met with the sight of the one person, and one cat that he thought he would never see again.

There was a long moment of silence, broken only by the sound of glasses being readjusted. Quiet as it was, it seemed to kick Ichigo's brain into motion and he blinked several times, "U-Uryuu…"

The blue eyes that had intently been watching his face looked away and an expression of something similar to remorse crossed the thin face. Ichigo's gaze lowered to see the kitten in the other boys arms and without asking, took it gently into his arms, holding it close to him.

"Uryuu…" he whispered again, this time sounding less shocked, "…I really thought I'd never see you again."

The one in the doorway remained silent, unsure of whether Ichigo was speaking to him, or to the kitten – unaware that Ichigo really meant the words to be directed and both. He took a step back, preparing himself to leave, when the redhead looked over his shoulder and spoke in what sounded to be a command rather than anything else, "Come inside."

The door was shut behind the dark-haired boy as he walked into the lounge room, and he took a seat on the floor as Ichigo did the same, placing the kitten down in front of him and playing with it. Uryuu frowned in thought for a moment before reaching into the bag he was carrying and extracting the cat toy he had bought the previous day, "…Here. He likes playing with this."

"I know what he likes," Ichigo snapped, and both of them seemed taken aback by it. The Shinigami didn't apologise. "I've been with him a lot longer than you could have. I know him better than you."

There was a long silence and Uryuu leaned back against the sofa behind him, "…My bad. You're right, you would know Uryuu better."

"…Have you been stalking me, Ishida?" the redhead asked, his tone making the question seem very inconsequential, as though he had asked the other boy where his pen had gone. He sat up properly and raised an eyebrow, giving the Quincy a serious look.

Running a hand through his hair to push his fringe out of his face, Uryuu looked at him with emotionless eyes, "Do you really think I would, Kurosaki? I've seen you on occasion, I've passed the pet store where you work, I've seen you with Uryuu… I could tell how much you like him."

"Why the fuck did you have to go and buy him, then?" Ichigo sounded more upset than angry, and he absently patted the kitten as it climbed into his lap, "When I found out he was gone this morning…" He looked away and clenched his teeth, fighting down all the emotions he had felt earlier.

Uryuu shuffled closer to him, reaching out to pet the kitten that had settled itself in Ichigo's lap. The redhead tensed when he realised how close the two of them were, but said nothing. He slowly turned to see that the Quincy was staring at him and as hard as he tried to scowl back, he couldn't.

"Uryuu…" he whispered, carefully reaching out to touch the boy's cheek. When he didn't flinch away, Ichigo brought his other hand to the Quincy's face, pulling him close and kissing him soundly. When Uryuu quickly pulled away, the redhead watched him patiently and the blue eyes looked away again.

"Why did you do that?" he whispered, fisting the material of his pants over his knees, "How… how can you just do that, after all I've done to you? Don't you hate me? Don't you feel hurt? Don't you—"

Ichigo placed the kitten on the floor and pulled Uryuu in for another kiss, this one much rougher than before. The dark-haired boy held onto the redhead's shoulders, trying to resist it, but as soon as the Shinigami began kissing down his neck, stopping to lick his Adam's apple, he moaned and lost all control he had previously been struggling for.

"Idiot, of course I don't hate you," he whispered, his breath hot against Uryuu's already warm neck, "I can't. You should know that."

"How should I?" he was interrupted by a kiss. "We haven't spoken." Kiss. "For." Kiss. " _Years_ , damn it Ichigo, if you keep kissing me like that I won't be able to—" Kiss. "—Think properly!"

Pushing him gently to the floor, Ichigo crawled over him and gave him a grin, "Thinking's over-rated."

"Ichigo…" the dark-haired boy murmured, reaching up to hold the sides of the Shinigami's face, looking into his eyes. It was an indirect request for him to slow down and he nodded, getting up off Uryuu and kneeling beside him, helping him up too.

The Siamese kitten padded towards them and they both smiled, reaching out towards it. Uryuu reached it first, stroking its fur before pulling it into his lap. Ichigo didn't seem to mind, simply leaning closer and leaning against Uryuu's shoulder, their heads resting against each other as they both patted the kitten. Closing his eyes, the Quincy smiled to himself. This was far easier than he had expected it to be.

  


*

Isshin checked his wrist watch. Going by what he could sense in the direction of the house, Ichigo wasn't home alone. He was also rather sure that he could make out who else was there – although that could be left to his common sense; not that he let others know he actually had any, though. He smiled to himself. It felt distinctly like Ryuuken, but it was missing a few things, and had a few others. Just like any son would differ to their father. So, he knew, that meant that they would have to spend as much time away from home as possible.

"Guess what?" he asked, turning to his daughters with his usual cheerful smile, "Daddy's going to spoil his baby girls absolutely rotten today! We'll go to the mall, and then we'll go out to lunch, and a movie, and—"

Karin had taken Yuzu by the hand and dragged her towards a sports store before he had the time to finish his sentence, and he stopped, smiling to himself. He knew it wouldn't be a good idea to return home until late in the night, but he was looking forward to it. He knew that by then, the sad look in his son's eyes would be gone.

  


*

They had spent most of the day playing with the kitten, that Ichigo had decided to rename to Ametatsu so as to avoid confusion between him and Uryuu. The Quincy had initially scowled, calling the redhead lame, but it was clear by the blush that he was actually rather thrilled by Ichigo's insistence to name the kitten after him.

By sunset, they had fed Ametatsu and he was taking a nap on the sofa. The two boys lay on the carpet, Ichigo's arm around Uryuu's waist as they watched the kitten sleep. Smiling, the Shinigami leaned forward, placing a kiss against the other's jaw. "He really looks like you, you know. If you were any animal, I reckon you'd be a gorgeous Siamese kitten, just like Ame."

Uryuu chuckled, shaking his head, "And you'd probably be a Golden Retriever pup."

"My kitty," the redhead murmured, pinning Uryuu beneath him and pulling his glasses off. He hummed in approval, "Mm, such pretty blue eyes. Just like Ame has."

"Gives those back, would you? Can't see my puppy without them."

"Oh, but if I remember correctly… back when we were a bit younger, you'd shut your eyes the moment I start playing with you. Such a cute expression too, you know… looks something like this…" he grinned as he heard Uryuu gasp when he rubbed the groin of his pants, the grin only widening when the Quincy closed his eyes tightly and groaned Ichigo's name.

"Ahh, Uryuu…" he gasped, biting his lower lip as he rubbed harder, "Please… I want this. I want to do this with you—"

Swearing under his breath, the dark-haired boy arched, thrusting against Ichigo's hand before forcing himself to return to reality. Lying on the floor, his breath a little heavier, he covered his eyes with a hand. "…Not here, Ichigo."

Nodding slowly, the Shinigami stood, pulling Uryuu to his feet as well, leading him up the stairs. When they were in his room, he turned and kissed the other boy, shutting the door behind him, "Better?"

The easiest way for Uryuu to reply was to wrap his arms around Ichigo's neck, giving him a long kiss before pulling him towards the bed.

  


*

It wasn't really a rule, so Uryuu hadn't really broken it. But Ryuuken still watched the clock without moving for five entire minutes. By five minutes past ten, he nodded to himself. Still no phone call. Uryuu wasn't going to come home that night. Not giving himself enough time to ascertain how he felt about this, he reached over for the phone, dialing a familiar number.

"Kurosaki," he greeted the one who picked the phone up. He then scowled, "I told you _not_ to call me Ryuu-chan – could you be serious for a moment?"

He was silent as he listened to the other speak, and then finally sighed.

"You won. Remember, that bet we made? Yes, it took him three years. Yes, I _know_ that, Kurosaki. Please don't remind me, I'd rather not think about it."

There was a long silence and then the other spoke. Smiling despite himself, Ryuuken nodded.

"Yes, Isshin, I _know_ this means that I owe you a dinner. We'll go out tomorrow night, if you're not busy."

A few more words were exchanged before Ryuuken was able to hang up. Resting his chin in his hand as he leaned forward onto the desk in front of him, he frowned in thought. He thought of Uryuu, of the sad look in his eyes that wouldn't be there any more. He thought of how everything was beginning to look good for him. And then he thought of what Isshin had said to him.

 _You didn't really lose, did you 'Ken? Because in the end, you get to see your kid smile, and no matter what it takes, that always makes a daddy feel like a winner. Seeing the fruit of your loins happy like that… it's the best feeling in the world._

He thought for a moment, and then closed his eyes, nodding once.

"Yes, Isshin, you're absolutely right."

  


*

"Didn't think you'd get tired this quickly," Ichigo murmured with a grin, kissing the back of Uryuu's neck as they curled up together in his bed, "I thought a Quincy would have more stamina than that."

The dark-haired boy shuffled a little so he could look over his shoulder, but stopped and glanced at Ametatsu, who was lying asleep on top of the quilt that covered them, making sure he hadn't woken the kitten up before giving Ichigo a short kiss, "We had sex. _Twice_. A Quincy has stamina for _battles_ , not this."

Grinning, Ichigo wrapped an arm around the other boy, resting his forehead against Uryuu's back, "Yeah? Well, I'm sure you'll get used to it."

Uryuu smiled and glanced at the clock. He let out a small noise of surprise and glanced over his shoulder to see Ichigo watching him. He indicated the time and carefully turned so that he was facing the other boy without disturbing the sleeping kitten.

"Happy new year," he murmured against Ichigo's chest, and felt a pair of lips on his forehead.

"Yeah. You too, Kitty."

The lay in silence for a long moment before Uryuu's hold on Ichigo tightened and they hugged each other, staying close. The blue eyes slid shut and he whispered the words Ichigo had waited three years to hear.

"I love you, Ichigo."

  


x


End file.
